Liquid container seal provided with drinking tube



y 1965 H. G. ZIMMERMAN ETAL 3, 4, 7

LIQUID CONTAINER SEAL PROVIDED WITH DRINKING TUBE Filed March 18, 1963lNVE/VTOPS HG. ZIMMEQMAN J. W- CATLOW United States Patent 3,194,470 LIQCQNTAINER SEAL PROVIDED WITH DKING TUBE Henry G. Zimmerman, 301 TrumbullSt, and John W. Catlow, 207 Sigourney St., both of Hartford, Conn. FiledMar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,937 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-7) This inventionrelates to liquid containers having a removable cap or sealing memberassociated with which is a drinking tube so that on removal of the capor sealing member the contents may be consumed by removal of the tubefrom the sealing cap or member.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container witha drinking tube retained in a collapsed condition within the cap orsealing member so that upon removal of the sealing cap or member thetube may be removed from its position after which it will unfold andstraighten so that it may be used for drinking the contents of thebottle or container.

A feature of importance of the invention is to retain the drinking tubewithin a bottle provided with a standard Crown closure cap or with astandard form of closure for a paper or other form of container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal disposed betweenthe cap and a bead formed on the neck of the bottle, the drinking tubebeing retained within a depression formed within the seal.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may include thefeatures of construction and operation set forth in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of thespecification, we have shown the invention as a part of a closure for abottle and for a conventional plastic or paper container, but it will beunderstood that the drawing is not to be construed as defining orlimiting the scope of the invention, the claim appended to thisspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a small liquid container, the hingedclosing cover of which may be provided with the present inveniton;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in FIG. 1 having thedrinking tube retainer shown positioned Within the depression of theclosure member;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a container shown in FIG. 1 having the drinkingtube placed directly Within the central depression to the hinged closuremember;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the neck portion of abottle showing a drinking tube coiled within the seal provided below aconventional metal sealing cap;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the form of invention shown in FIG. 5, partlyin section, and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are, respectively, plan and side views of a plastic orother material member shaped to form a seal for the form of inventionshown in FIG. 5.

In the above mentioned drawing there have been shown but two"embodiments of the invention which are now deemed preferable, but it isto be understood, however, that changes and modifications may be madewithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the figures of the drawing and first to theform of invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, it will be seen that a coileddrinking tube 10 is retained 3,194,470 Patented July 13, 1965 within theclosure member 12 of a conventional form of milk container 14.

FIG. 1 shows such a container 14 with its hinged closing member 12 inopen position with a drinking tube of plastic or other material 10inserted therethrough. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the coiled drinkingtube 10 may be placed within a pre-formed plastic member 16 having acentral depression within which the coiled tube is retained. Over theplastic retainer 16 is a thin flexible transparent covering member 18preferably adhesively attached to the upper surface of the moulded orformed retainer 16 for the tube 10. This retainer 16 with the tube 10enclosed is inserted within the central depression of the closing member12 as shown.

FIG. 4 shows a modified form of the invention in which a coiled tube 10is placed directly in the central depression of a hinged cover 12 and athin sheet of transparent or other material 18 placed thereover toretain the coiled tube in place.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the invention applied to the neck of a bottle 20having a head 22 at its open end. In this form of the invention thebottle neck is of standard form and is shown as having a standard formof Crown sealing cap 24 thereon. Within the sealing cap 24 is a plasticpre-formed member 26. This member 26 fits the upper rim of the bead 22and is provided with a central depression 28. Within the depression 28is housed a coiled tube 10 retained in position by the sealing cap 24being crimped about the bead 22. Upon removal of the sealing cap 24 themember 26 and the tube 10 may be removed.

To prevent the member 26 and tube 10 being forcibly driven from thebottle when the bottle is opened, the annular portions of the member 26may be radially indented as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 by narrow grooves 30.These grooves act upon removal of the sealing cap 24 to permit slowrelease of pressure within the bottle. When the sealing cap 24 iscrimped into position the radially extending grooves are entirelyflattened to provide a complete seal. Upon removal of the cap 24 thegrooves 30 open slightly to relieve pressure within the bottle andpermit manual removal of the member 26 and its tube 10.

We claim:

A liquid container having a preformed flexible sealing member hinged tosaid container and having an annular wall adapted to enter an opening inone of the surfaces of the container,

a flanged flexible member having a central depression therein,

a compact drinking tube housed within the depression of said flangedflexible member, the flanged flexible member engaging the annular wallof said sealing member to retain said flanged flexible member therein,

and a cover member adhesively positioned over said depression andretaining said tube within said depression.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,680,341 8/28Rosenthal 215-1 2,175,735 10/ 39 Banks 2151 3,006,525 10/ 61 Herrmann229--17 3,039,669 6/62 Hill 229-17 FOREIGN PATENTS 408,463 1/10 France.1,130,524 10/56 France.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

